#54: Bending picks

Denny Saldusku writes:

I recently saw that someone had bent the tips back on their fingerpicks, is this the norm or are there other ways to use them as I am straight?

Denny Saldusku

Dear Denny,

There is a wide variety in the way picks are worn, twisted, bent more, straightened, etc. Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck bend them the way you’ve described. There are definitely other ways that work, as shown in the photos of many pros’ hands and picks in a book I cowrote called Masters of the Five String Banjo. The book is not currently available, but should be soon. It deflates many myths to the effect: This is the best way, the right way, what everybody does, etc. It’s actually pretty subjective.